Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki
The first round began and they touched gloves. Mizugaki landed a right hand. They circled feeling each other out. Four thirty-five. Mizugaki landed a very nice leg kick. Bowles was being cautious. Four fifteen. Mizugaki landed a right hand. Four minutes. Mizugaki landed a good leg kick. Rogan called Mizugaki an 'excellent boxer'. Mizugaki landed another nice right leg kick there. Three thirty. He's outpointing Bowles thus far. Three fifteen remaining. Bowles was circling into the right hand though. Mizugaki landed a leg kick. Three minutes. Bowles kept circling into it. Bowles landed a right hand himself there. Two thirty-five. "There's the understatement of the week." Two fifteen. "It ended terribly." They were talking about Bisping and Henderson. Mizugaki landed a right hand there. Two minutes. Mizugaki landed a leg kick there and missed a left uppercut. Mizugaki clipped Bowles with a right hand there. Mizugaki landed a nice counter one-two. One thirty. Bowles landed a left hook and then a right hand. One fifteen. They clinched. Bowles kneed the body there. Bowles kneed the leg. One minute as he kneed the thigh. Mizugaki kneed the face inside quickly. Bowles kneed the thigh. Thirty-five. Bowles kneed the body. Bowles kneed the thigh. Mizugaki replied. Bowles kneed the body there nicely. Fifteen as the ref broke them up. The first round ended. Close but I'd say 10-9 Mizugaki. The second round began and they touched gloves. Four thirty-five. Mizugaki missed a one-two and landed a leg kick. Bowles was trying to cut off the cage there. Bowles landed a jab and another with four fifteen. "What are you doing, B?" Four minutes. Bowles landed another nice jab there again. Rory Singer kept yelling "moving, moving" to Bowles. Three thirty. Mizugaki missed another right hand eating a counter jab. Mizugaki landed another right hand. Three fifteen remaining. Mizugaki missed a left hook counter. Bowles landed a jab but ate a good leg kick. Three minutes. Bowles grazed with a right hand. Two thirty-five remaining. Bowles landed a right hand left hook counter one-two. That was a beautiful combo. "That is so bizarre. The odds of that are just astronomical." Rogan's comment on the whole Bowles-Page guillotine situation. Bowles caught a hard leg kick and landed a right and he had the back and dragged Mizugaki down and got both hooks. He got a body triangle with two minutes. Mizugaki controlled the hands. Bowles got a hand under the chin. One thirty as Mizugaki defended well. This is why I love this sport. One fifteen. Bowles landed two left hands in under. One minute. Mizugaki wanted to turn into guard but the body triangle prevented that. Thirty-five. Bowles got the arm under the neck. Mizugaki defended well. Fifteen. Bowles lost the body triangle there. The second round ended. 10-9 Bowles. "Ain't nothing wrong with you." "Broken or not. The champion keeps fighting." That was Rory Singer talking to him. Wait, is something on Bowles broken again? Bowles's hand is broken from that earlier right hand, perhaps. The third round began and they touched gloves. Mizugaki stuffed a single to the clinch. Four thirty-five. Mizugaki kneed the body. Four fifteen. Bowles kneed the thigh. Bowles kneed the thigh. Mizugaki kneed the body. Four minutes. Bowles kneed the body and the thigh. "Winning winning winning there!" Three thirty-five left. Bowles broke away slipping a combination. Three fifteen. "Footwork, B!" Rory yelled. Bowles got a clean double and had both hooks standing very nicely there. Three minutes. Singer yelled for Bowles to attack the neck. Mizugaki was carrying Bowles's weight against the cage. Two thirty-five. Two fifteen. "You're winning, buddy." Two minutes. "At the very least, Brian Bowles is holding a dominant position." Bowles was not throwing punches. No one was really doing anything. One thirty-five. "Anthony Pettis hanging on to Ben Henderson's back" in the WEC. One fifteen. Mario Yamasaki warned Bowles. The crowd began booing slightly and warningly. One minute. The referee broke them apart. Bowles shook out that right hand. Mizugaki was sizing Bowles up. Thirty-five. Mizugaki was throwing. "Head movement!" Fifteen. Mizugaki landed a right hand. Mizugaki missed a flying knee and flurried missing. The third round ended. They shook hands and hugged, Mizugaki looked a bit disappointed. 10-9 Bowles. 29-28 Bowles overall. Mizugaki's lower lip was bloody. 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 all for Bowles. Aftermath A few days later it was noted that Bowles' right hand wasn't broken.